Funny things tourists pay to do in your country
 

I was looking around the lonely planet forums just for the hell of it, and stumbled upon a post where someone was asking if people thought it was worth it to pay $400 to go on a tour in alaska to see bears.

I told the poster to just go camping up there and leave some food out. They'll see bears up close for free!

It amuses me greatly that someone would pay $400 to see something that we just view as a normal part of any outdoor activity in western Canada. Go mountain biking, see a bear. go hiking, see a bear. hell even spring skiing in some areas overlap the time when hibernation ends and you'll run into some bears.

So what do tourists spend ridiculous amounts of money on in your country that you consider an utter waste?

I nominate Disney World. Now, I actually used to work there so I have kind of a soft spot for the place but it's really expensive. And if you're traveling to the US from far away surely you can think of more interesting places to spend your time than boring-ass Orlando.

Why is Disney in Orlando?

I feel a bunch of people come to Toronto to visit its malls, specially Yorkdale and The Eaton Center, and though Eaton is huge and scenic and nice and is at the heart of downtown, deserving its tourism and praise, Yorkdale is in "bleh" North York, and it's not that big to begin with.

Two words: cheap land.

Incidentally, I love Toronto and have never been to any malls there. :)

That does explain everything.

Coming to visit in the hopes of seeing the Queen, or at least viewing her palace. I discussed this with her while we partook of tiffin and she said she didn't understand it either.

In Tennessee they go down the Natchez Trace, which is a giant dirt road that traders have been traveling down for 200 years. They don't have to pay, but it's still a pretty lame thing to see.

Oh and Andrew Jackson's home. Hahaha

They don't go see Graceland?

I wasn't really thinking hard about it, but that's money well spent IMO.

Here (Indianapolis) you can pay to ride around the track a few times, kiss the bricks, or whatever tickles your fancy. I don't know of any other reason people would come here to visit, unless its for the Final Four or something.